Substantial US withdrawal from Iraq if there is progress
Iraq-USA, Politics, 7/27/2005

A "fairly substantial" withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq could take place next spring or summer if the insurgency doesn't grow and the country's political process continues as scheduled, the commander of coalition forces said in Baghdad today.

U.S. Army Gen. George W. Casey, head of Multinational Force Iraq, spoke during a surprise visit to Iraq by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

At a later joint news conference with Rumsfeld, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said the departure of U.S. forces from his country depends on how soon Iraq can train, equip and field its own soldiers and police to take over security duties. "We do not want to be surprised," Jaafari said, if U.S. troops leave before the Iraqis are prepared to assume security.

"The insurgents need to progress to survive, and this insurgency is not progressing," Casey said.

Instead of gaining strength, insurgents in Iraq have changed tactics, he explained, to employ "more violent, more visible" attacks on softer civilian targets. That is "a no-win strategy for the insurgents," Casey said. The general noted that U.S. military members continue to train and team up with Iraqi units in conducting sweeps and other security missions.

Rumsfeld had stated belief that the Iraqi government needs to be more assertive about border issues with countries like Syria and Iran. "They need to be more aggressive," the US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said, noting the Syrians and the Iranians haven't been very helpful in preventing insurgents from entering Iraq from their side of the border.

The drafting of a new constitution is "enormously important" to Iraq's citizens, Rumsfeld said, noting it will give them a stake in their country.

Iraq's new political system will continue to go forward, Rumsfeld predicted, and in tandem with a rejuvenated economy and improved domestic security forces, it will ultimately assist to "dampen" the insurgency.

"It will make it much more difficult for insurgents to be successful" in Iraq, he noted.

A new, democratically elected Iraqi government is slated to take over in January, Rumsfeld said.

He also reported that planning is under way to eventually transfer responsibility for Iraqi prisoners to the Iraqi government, as Iraq's new criminal justice system gets stronger.

Meantime, AFP reported that Rumsfeld "planned to press Iraqis to work on the legal status of US forces after a constitutional government is in place. He said it was vital that the Iraqi government allocate sufficient funds for Iraqi security forces so that they can replace departing coalition troops." AFP reported that "A senior Iraqi security official said he believed US-led forces would hand over security in 10 major cities to Iraqi forces by December."

Previous Stories:
  Iraqi police and soldiers not very capable   (7/23/2005)
  US freezes assets of Saddam's relatives. Saddam again on TV screens   (7/22/2005)
  US calls for Sunni return to the constitution writing committee   (7/21/2005)

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